Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1887-03-31
Welded TO ADVENTURES.
ihuian Maidens Deceived by I'm.
principied White Men.
From ths Nam Vow. Run

|
WABASH, IND, March 24.-The Miami
maidens have been thoroughly plucked
oy the avaricious and characterless white
men OF these parts. So have most of the
members of that unhappy tribe, for that
matter, but the tate OF the girls Is per-
maps the most sorrowful,
Inlrty years ago in an evil hour the
Mlsmls We're induced by the prospect OF
Immediate gain and by the persuasion of
men whom they regarded as friends to
| consent to the abrogation of the treaty
under which they We're to receive an an
nulty forever and to accept in lieu thereof
the gross sum of 1921, 900, to be paid to
Lnem In tweRty-six annual payments.
Inc last payment was made in 1881. At
| Inst time the once powerful Miami tribe
was reduced to 1871 members, and the
sum each received in settlement was
| $500.
| MOST OF the Miamis were in this vicinity
on lsnds which the government had given
them, but only few OF them showed any
thrift as farmers. White spectators
! speedily gained control of their holdings,
ana tue Miamis became wanderers, retu-
| gees and vagsbonds. An exception was
TO he found in the case OF Me-shIu-go-
mena's band, just south of this town.
| Me-shin-go-mena was the last chief OF
the Mlamts, and his family, as we'll as
| Others that were with him, were of high
order of Intelligence. They titled the soil
with success, had many fertile acres,
lived comfortably, and were too shrewd
and provident as a rule to be taken in by
| designing white men.
For many years the Miami maidens
have been sought in marriage by white
scoundrels and adventures VINO knew
| OF their wealth in land, and expected to
make something by the transaction.
with these girls marriage with the whites
ls lofty ambition, which no amount OF
bitter experience on the part of others
seems sufficient to eradicate. They are,
as rule, comely when young, and those
belonging to the OLD chiefs band have
! been especially so. They have been
| heiresses almost without exception, and
in their simplicity they have not been
able to realize that in most cases their
| suitors have been mere fortune hunters
| of the baeest sort. Dozens OF these poor
| girls have been induced to contract mar
| riages with white ruffians. and 1t Is not
known tnat a single one of them has ever
had reason to do else than regret the day
that she saw white man.
In view of the unbrOken experience
! which the Miami girls had had IN marital
affairs, much surprise was caused here a
| pearing in local newspaper announced
That Nancy Waca-conab, "a young
Miami maiden, good looking, amiable,
and neat, and the owner OF 200 acres of
excellent land" would marry white
man If the right one presented himself.
| Efforts were made to head tue girl of, aud
the sad fate OF her sisters was pointed
| out to her, but she would not be advised
She felt she was as good judge of human
A. y.I AwV..
msnt remained in the paper.
The replies received were numerous.
| Every worthless scamp in the country
| for fitty miles around responded, most OF
| them 10 person, and Nancy was flattered
almost to the point of lunacy by the at
tentiOns which she received. Some OF the
| men who sought her are said to have been
| worthy fellows, who might have treated
| her in an honorable manner, hut, with the
faulty which had characterized all the
other girls OF her race, Nancy finally Sc
| lectea from q score or more OF ardent suit
| ers q young man named Charles Hale,
aud the marriage was speedily celebrated.
Hale was man who had never made a
| success OF anything that he had under
taken, who was indolent and wholly with
out experience in any bread-winnIng pur-
| SUIT, but he was fairly good-IO0klng, and
for a time Nancy was the happiest gITl In
Indiana.
She and her husband settled on her
farm, and for time they made an effort
to cultivate it, but it soon became evident
that Hale had no intention OF working.
On one pretext and another be induced
her to sell or mortgage the land and give
him the money, until all was irretrievabiy
gone. and then, with nothing but the
charity Of her people to rely upon, he
abandoned her, taking up with white
woman and leaving the country.
Nancy could hardly be made to
believe that the land which had
been hers, and her fathers
aud grandfather's, had passed from
her control forever, and that the white
husband for whom she had paid 80 dearly
had abandoned her, but when she real
lied the truth her grief was uncontrOlls-
BILE. Some OF the Older members OF the
tribe who still retain their lands took the
girl in and gave her home, and through
the kindness Of a Wabash attorney an
action for divorce has now been brought.
In the bill Hale is charged with cruel and
inhumRu treatment, drunkenness and
unfaithfulness, and there are said to be
plenty OF witnesses to establish the alle-